United States · United States Congress · 18 February 1992
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that a sale or exchange of indebtedness held through mutual fund shares by certain financial institutions shall not be considered a sale or exchange of a capital asset (thus treating such shares as items of ordinary income).
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1992
Directs the Attorney General to review refugee status applications for specified Haitian nationals and authorizes the admittance of those Haitians meeting the definition of "refugee" under the Immigration and Nationality Act. (Prohibits entry until such status has been determined.) Prohibits the return to Haiti of Haitian nationals who have been determined to have a well-founded fear of persecution. Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) U.S. policy should not encourage Haitian nationals who are unlikely to qualify for refugee status to come to the United States; and (2) Haitian nationals who cannot establish a well-founded fear of persecution may be returned to Haiti.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1992
Prohibits any funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Veterans Affairs from being used by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish hospital care or medical services in Department facilities under the Rural Health Care Initiative to any person who is not eligible to be furnished hospital, nursing home, or domiciliary care under current Federal veterans' benefits provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1992
Fair Market Standards Act - Prohibits a Member or employee of the Congress from receiving from any office, officer, employee, or other entity in the Congress or in a U.S. department or agency any service or other benefit, at Government expense, that is not equally available to all other persons, with specified exceptions. Requires the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate and the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives to survey and report to specified congressional committees on all the services and benefits available to Members and employees that are not equally available to all other persons, and the manner in which each service or benefit contributes to the performance of their duties. Requires each Committee to introduce a resolution that describes: (1) each service and benefit that may properly be made available to Members and employees for specified reasons; and (2) each service and benefit that may not properly be made available to them but may be made available in or near the Senate or House buildings, at the expense of Members and employees, and provided by employees of the Government or by private contractors. Directs the appropriate officers of the Senate and House to make arrangements for the necessary services and other benefits at fair market value. Mandates that all payments received from Members and employees of the Congress for unnecessary services and benefits provided by Government employees, all rent, or other payments received from private contractors that provide such services and benefits be deposited into the deficit reduction account of the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1992
Recognizes and commemorates the centennial of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. Requests the President to issue a proclamation observing the centennial from January 1 through December 31, 1992.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1992
Congratulates the Governments and people of Croatia and Slovenia on the occasion of the recognition of their independence by 38 countries. Urges the President to immediately extend diplomatic recognition to, and establish mutually beneficial relations with, Croatia and Slovenia.
United States · United States Congress · 27 November 1991
1996 Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games Commemorative Coin Act - Provides for the minting and sale of commemorative gold and silver coins to support the 1996 Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games and the programs of the United States Olympic Committee.
United States · United States Congress · 26 November 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain business entities to elect to use a fiscal year for tax purposes other than the required taxable year. Modifies provisions concerning required payments for such entitites.
United States · United States Congress · 26 November 1991
Federal-State Pesticide Regulation Partnership Act of 1991 - Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to remove the authority of political subdivisions to inspect records of persons selling or delivering pesticides for purposes of enforcing such Act. Prohibits local governments from imposing or continuing any requirement regarding pesticides or devices.
United States · United States Congress · 26 November 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for a first-time homebuyer who purchases a principal residence. Limits such credit to $1,000. Limits the homebuyer's income to $50,000. Reduces such credit by $10 for each $100 by which the taxpayer's adjusted gross income exceeds $40,000.
United States · United States Congress · 25 November 1991
Establishes a Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States' Democratic Party to coordinate ceremonial events and related activities during 1992. Requires the Commission to submit periodic reports and a final one to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro tempore of the Senate on its activities. Terminates the Commission on February 13, 1993, unless otherwise provided by law.
United States · United States Congress · 22 November 1991
Women Veterans' Health Equity Act of 1991 - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish well-women care services to women veterans who: (1) have a service-connected disability; or (2) are eligible for veterans' hospital care and whose annual income does not exceed the maximum rate of pension that would be applicable if such a veteran were eligible for pension. Defines "well-women care services" as health care services provided outside the maternity cycle. Authorizes the Secretary to furnish such services, subject to certain conditions, to a woman veteran who is not eligible for services under the criteria of this Act, but who is otherwise eligible for hospital care. Sets forth requirements concerning personnel to provide such services. Directs the Secretary to initiate research and expand ongoing research into the health consequences for women veterans of the following matters: (1) breast cancer and cancer of the reproductive organs; (2) gynecological and hormonal matters; (3) Alzheimer's disease; (4) osteoporosis; and (5) post-traumatic stress disorder. Requires the Secretary to carry out a research study to determine: (1) the frequency of the diagnosis of psychotic illness as the basis for the admittance of female and male veterans to Department facilities; and (2) an explanation for the difference, if any, in such frequencies. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to conduct a ten-year study to determine the health-care needs of women veterans and, as part of such study, examine the medical, biopsychosocial, and demographic histories of women veterans and women members of the armed forces serving on active duty. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary, in carrying out any medical research based on population analyses, to ensure that: (1) the research reflects matters that are significant for the general population of women in the United States; and (2) the population analyzed in such research is representative of the incidence of the condition or illness in the general population of women in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 22 November 1991
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the annual cap on the amount of payment for outpatient physical therapy and occupational therapy services under (Medicare) part B (Supplemental Medical Insurance).
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 1991
Urges and requests the President to require the Secretary of the appropriate military department to award the bronze star to each member of the Navy or Marine Corps who served under General Wainwright during the defense of Corregidor Island, the Philippines, during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 1991
Reforestation Tax Act of 1991 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide corporations a partial inflation adjustment for the deduction from gross income for qualified timber gain. Allows such deduction in computing adjusted gross income. Provides for applying passive loss limitations to timber activities. Increases the amount allowable as a deduction for amortization of reforestation expenditures and provides an inflation adjustment after calendar year 1992. Applies such inflation adjustment to the reforestation credit.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1991
Coal Industry Retiree Health Benefit Act of 1991 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish the Coal Industry Retiree Health Benefit Corporation to administer a program for the provision of retiree health benefits in the coal industry. Establishes the Coal Industry Retiree Benefit Fund for the deposit of all amounts received by the Corporation. Requires the following payments to the Corporation: (1) an hourly premium on each hour worked in coal production by employees by each person that produces coal for use or for sale; (2) a per-ton premium obligation on the importer of coal; and (3) an annual per beneficiary premium by each last signatory operator and each other employer. Sets forth the eligibility requirements for benefits for orphan miners, and spouses and dependents or orphan miners or deceased coal miners. Requires the Corporation to provide medical and death benefits to such persons. Directs the Corporation to develop managed care rules applicable to the payment of benefits. Establishes the United Mine Workers of America 1991 Benefit Fund as an employee welfare benefit plan consisting of the merger of excess assets from certain closed plans. Sets forth eligibility requirements for benefits from such Fund. Requires the last signatory operator of any individual receiving retiree health care benefits as of February 1, 1993 from an individual employer plan maintained pursuant to a coal wage agreement to provide retiree health care benefits to such individual. Provides for the determination and disposition of excess pension assets to the Corporation or the 1991 Benefit Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1991
Quality in Medical Equipment and Supplies Act of 1991 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require suppliers of items of durable medical equipment, prosthetics and orthotics, and prosthetic devices to submit claims for payment under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) only to the carrier having jurisdiction over the geographic area in which the patient resides. Provides exceptions to this requirement if the patient to whom such an item is furnished resides within 60 miles of the border of the carrier jurisdiction or if the patient is temporarily residing in another carrier's jurisdiction. Gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to provide for further exceptions to ensure patient access or administrative efficiency. Requires the Secretary to: (1) consolidate the number of carriers processing claims for such items to no more than five regional carriers; (2) develop and implement, in consultation with private sector groups, criteria providing for uniform coverage and utilization among all carriers for such items; (3) establish national uniform standards that suppliers of such items must meet in order to obtain and renew provider numbers; (4) establish requirements for disclosure by applicants for provider numbers; (5) require the renewal of provider numbers every three years; (6) develop a standard provider number application form; and (7) establish procedures to be used by carriers to verify supplier applications for provider numbers. Modifies the current prohibition against suppliers of items of durable medical equipment distributing forms documenting medical necessity to make such prohibition applicable instead to suppliers of items included on the Secretary's list of potentially overused items. Increases the monetary penalty for violation of such prohibition with respect to suppliers of items included on the Secretary's list of potentially overused items. Requires a standardized form of medical necessity to be developed by the Secretary for suppliers of items of durable medical equipment. Requires the form to include a statement that knowing and willful misrepresentations on it by the supplier will result in imposition of monetary penalties. Extends the prohibition against physicians referring patients to clinical labs in which the physician has certain financial interests to referrals of patients to suppliers of items of durable medical equipment. Requires the Secretary to study and report to the Congress on whether payments made for items of durable medical equipment, prosthetics and orthotics, and prosthetic devices adequately reflect the services provided by the suppliers to ensure quality of care. Requires the Comptroller General to study and make recommendations to the Congress on whether payments made for such items adequately reflect variations in the quality of equipment or supplies provided.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 1991
Authorizes the U.S. Postal Service to issue and sell a postage stamp to honor the Women's Army Corps and to commemorate the date it officially became a part of the U.S. Army.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 1991
Enterprise Capital Formation Act of 1991 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a deduction for gain on investments in new small business stock (seed capital) held for at least five years. Establishes special rules for such investments. Provides for determining the maximum capital gains rate for small business net capital gain or seed capital gain. Treats capital gains on the sale of such stock as a preference item for purposes of the minimum tax.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 1991
Research Freedom Act of 1991 - Amends title IV (National Research Institutes) of the Public Health Service Act to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services: (1) from approving any application for financial assistance to conduct research subject to review by an Institutional Review Board unless the application has undergone review and has been recommended for approval by an Institutional Review Board; and (2) from authorizing research that is subject to review under procedures established by the Secretary for the protection of human subjects in clinical research by the National Institutes of Health unless the research has been recommended for approval. Permits the Secretary to conduct or support research concerning the transplantation of human fetal tissue for therapeutic purposes. Permits the use of such tissue in such research regardless of whether the tissue is obtained subsequent to a spontaneous or induced abortion or subsequent to a stillbirth. Requires consent of the woman involved, the researcher, and the donee.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 1991
Medicaid Moratorium Amendments of 1991 - Amends the Technical and Miscellaneous Revenues Act of 1988 to: (1) delay until September 30, 1992, the issuance of regulations changing the treatment under the Medicaid program (title XIX of the Social Security Act) of voluntary contributions and provider-specific taxes; and (2) maintain current regulations that allow intergovernmental transfers as a source of a State's expenditures for which Federal matching funds are available under the Medicaid program. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit to specified congressional committees a report on: (1) regulations to limit the use of voluntary contributions and provider-specific taxes to obtain Federal financial participation; (2) specific types of voluntary contributions and provider-specific taxes that may be used as sources of a State's expenditures for which Federal financial participation is available; and (3) any legislation that the Secretary believes is appropriate. Sets forth budget compliance provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 1991
Directs the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Agriculture to jointly report to the President and the Congress on the differences in program rules under the food stamp program, Aid to Families with Dependent Children program (part A of title IV of the Social Security Act), and Medicaid program (title XIX of the Social Security Act) and how such rules could be made uniform.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 1991
Better Access to Affordable Health Care Act of 1991 - Title I: Improvements in Health Insurance Affordability for Small Employers - Amends the Internal Revenue code to raise from 25 to 100 percent the deduction for self-employed individuals for health insurance premiums and makes the deduction permanent. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) to make grants to up to 15 States for the establishment and operation of small employer health insurance purchasing programs. Permits grant funds to be used to finance administrative costs associated with developing and operating a group purchasing program for small employers. Authorizes appropriations. Requires a report to the Congress from the Secretary concerning the feasibility of establishing a requirement that health insurers must make available plans providing that payments to providers be made using Medicare (title XVIII of the Social Security Act) payment rules. Title II: Improvements in Health Insurance for Small Employers - Amends the Social Security Act to add a new title, Title XXI: Standards for Small Employer Health Insurance and Certification of Managed Care Plans. Directs the Secretary to request the National Association of Insurance Commissioners to develop model standards and regulations concerning requirements for health insurance plans for small employers. Requires such plans to provide for: (1) guaranteed eligibility; (2) guaranteed availability; and (3) guaranteed renewability. Prohibits: (1) an insurer from refusing to renew or terminate a plan, except for nonpayment of premiums, fraud, or failure to maintain minimum participation rates; and (2) for certain services, discrimination based on health status. Sets limits controlling the variation of premium charges permitted among all small employers insured by an insurer. Requires the full disclosure of an insurer's rating practices. Requires a health insurance plan for small employers to offer: (1) both a standard and basic benefit package; and (2) a managed care option, if the insurer also offers such an option to other employers. Provides, under both the standard and basic package, for coverage of: (1) inpatient and outpatient hospital care; (2) inpatient and outpatient physician services; (3) diagnostic tests; and (4) preventive services. Provides, in addition, under the standard plan: (1) for the coverage of certain mental health care; (2) that, except as specified, there will be no limits on the amount, scope, or duration of benefits, and (3) for specified limits on deductibles, copayment, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket expenses. Provides under the basic plan that: (1) premiums, deductibles, copayments, or other cost-sharing may be imposed, but does not specify in what amounts; and (2) there shall be an out-of-pocket limit, but does not specify such limit. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose an excise tax of 25 percent of gross premiums on the issuer of any health insurance plan to a small employer, if the plan does not meet the requirements of title XXI. Sets forth study and reporting requirements. Title III: Improvements in Portability of Private Health Insurance - Imposes an excise tax of $100 per day, with respect to a covered individual, on a group health plan for its failure to provide coverage for a preexisting condition, subject to stated exceptions. Title IV: Health Care Cost Containment - Establishes a Health Care Cost Commission which shall report annually to the President and the Congress on national health care costs. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, under title XXI of the Social Security Act, to establish a process for the certification of managed care plans and utilization review programs. Sets forth requirements for certification. Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Administrator of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research to develop outcomes research and practice parameters for mental health services, including at least the diagnosis and treatment of childhood attention deficit syndrome disorders and manic depression. Amends Part A (General Provisions) of title XI of the Social Security Act to authorize appropriations for research outcomes of health care services and procedures. Title V: Medicare Prevention Benefits - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish frequency and payment limits for screening for fecal-occult blood tests and screening flexible sigmoidoscopies. Amends Medicare part C (Miscellaneous Provisions) to provide coverage for tetanus-diphtheria boosters and their administration. Provides Medicare coverage for well-child services, which include routine office visits, immunizations, laboratory tests, and preventive dental care. Expands the coverage of a screening mammography to provide for one such screening annually for all covered women over age 49. Directs the Secretary to establish and provide for a series of ongoing demonstration projects which provide coverage for specified preventive services, including: (1) glaucoma screening; (2) cholesterol screening; (3) osteoporosis screening and treatment; (4) screening services for pregnant women; (5) assessments for individuals beginning at age 65 or 75; and (5) other appropriate services. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 1991
Financial Aid for All Students Act of 1991 - Title I: Pell Grant Entitlement, Graduate Assistance, and Excellence Scholarships - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise provisions for Pell Grants. Increases the Pell Grant maximum by $600, after July 1, 1994, and makes the additional amount for which the student qualifies an entitlement. Authorizes a full entitlement under the Pell Grant program for all eligible students, if the Congress makes available for such purpose sufficient additional revenue or savings pursuant to the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990. Makes first-year graduate students eligible for Pell Grants if: (1) they would be eligible if they were undergraduates; and (2) there has been full funding of Pell Grants for undergraduate students in that fiscal year. Establishes an Excellence Scholarship Program for Pell Grant recipients who demonstrate high academic achievement. Grants eligible students a contractual right against the United States to receive such scholarships. Makes students eligible if they: (1) have received a Pell Grant for that academic year, are enrolled on at least a half-time basis in a program of study of at least two academic years in length that leads to a degree or certificate, and meet the following conditions for demonstrating academic excellence: (1) in the case of first year undergraduates, by taking specified college preparatory level coursework and by ranking in the top ten percent of their secondary school graduating class or achieving at least the minimum designated score on a nationally administered standardized test or participating for at least 36 months in an early intervention program, a special program for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, or similar program; (2) in the case of students who initially qualified for a first-year scholarship because they participated in such early intervention or special program, by participating in student support program services and continuing to make significant progress toward agreed-upon academic milestones; and (3) in the case of any other student, by ranking in the top ten percent of their last completed undergraduate class year or meeting another measure of academic achievement determined by the Secretary of Education (the Secretary). Sets such scholarship award at $1,000 for any academic year. Reduces such amount by the amount it exceeds the student's cost of attendance by itself or when combined with other Federal or non-Federal grant or scholarship assistance in the academic year. Provides for proportionate reductions in each award to adjust for insufficient appropriations. Allows eligible students to receive up to four scholarships, each for one academic year, for undergraduate study (or five scholarships for undergraduate study programs that require attendance for the full-time equivalent of five academic years). Provides that a student's eligibility for such a scholarship does not depend on receipt of scholarship or Pell Grant in the previous academic year. Title II: Income-Dependent Education Assistance Program - Establishes the Income-Dependent Education Assistance (IDEA) Credit program as part D of title IV of HEA. (Replaces the current part D, Income Contingent Direct Loan Demonstration Project.) Directs the Secretary to: (1) make IDEA loans to eligible students; and (2) enter into an agreement with the Secretary of the Treasury for the collection of repayments on such loans. Grants eligible students a contractual right against the United States to receive a loan under such IDEA program. Sets the following conditions for student eligibility for an IDEA loan: (1) eligibility for title IV assistance in accordance with specified provisions; (2) carrying at least one-half the normal full-time course work load; (3) applying for title IV need-based assistance,in the cases of independent students with adjusted gross incomes below specified levels and dependent students with family incomes below specified levels; (4) notification of the head of household of eligibility for a parent (PLUS) loan, in the case of dependent students with expected family contributions above specified levels; and (5) the borrower understanding and signing a statement that taking the IDEA loan will increase such individual's income taxes until the loan is paid in full with interest. Requires each eligible student to use the IDEA loan only to attend an eligible institution. Sets forth provisions for distribution of program funds to eligible institutions and students. Sets forth provisions for the amounts and terms of IDEA loans. Sets annual limits on the amounts of such loans to various categories of students. Sets a limitation on individual borrowing capacity, with adjustments for the borrower's age, exceptions for certain graduate students, and consideration of any outstanding student loan obligations. Limits the duration of individual eligibility for such loans. Sets forth requirements for: (1) agreements to the terms of such loans; and (2) applications. Sets forth provisions for interest charges on such loans. Requires such charges to be added to the recipient's obligation account at the end of each calendar year. Bases such charges on an interest rate equal to the lesser of: (1) ten percent; or (2) the sum of the average bond equivalent rates of 91-day Treasury bills auctioned for the previous year, plus two percentage points, rounded to the next higher one-eighth of one percent. Provides for conversion and consolidation of certain other types of student loans as IDEA loans. Authorizes the Secretary, upon request of borrowers who have received federally insured or guaranteed loans under title IV HEA (Stafford loans) or of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) (HEAL loans), to make new IDEA loans to such borrowers which are equal to the sum of the unpaid principal of those other loans and which discharge the liability on those other loans. Provides for mandatory conversion of certain defaulted student loans to IDEA loans. Requires IDEA collection treatment of any loan made, insured, or guaranteed under specified provisions of HEA or PHSA after enactment of this Act which is assigned after default for collection by the Secretary of Education or the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Directs the Secretary of Education to study and report to the Congress on the effects of: (1) the IDEA program on participating institutions' tuition rates and accrediting and licensure standards; and (2) inflation on IDEA loan limits, on the progressivity factor in IDEA loan collection formulas, and on the cost of attendance at an eligible institution. Authorizes the Secretary, after consultation with the appropriate congressional committees, to make inflation adjustments to increase: (1) IDEA loan limits; (2) adjusted gross income levels used to determine the progressivity factor in IDEA loan collection formulas; and (3) the cost of attendance determination for purposes of IDEA loan amounts. Directs the Secretary to notify each IDEA loan borrower of his or her yearly repayment obligation. Sets forth formulas for computation of the annual IDEA loan repayment amount. Makes such amount equal to the lesser of: (1) 20 percent of the excess of the modified adjusted income of the taxpayer for such taxable year over the sum of the standard deduction and any applicable exemption; or (2) the product of a base amortization amount and a progressivity factor based on the taxpayer's modified adjusted gross income. Defines "base amortization amount" as the amount which, if paid at the close of each year for 12 consecutive years, would fully repay (with an eight-percent annual interest rate) the maximum account balance of the borrower. Sets forth progressivity factor tables for various types of taxpayers. Provides that, in general, the repayment obligation of an IDEA loan borrower shall terminate only if there is repaid the principal plus interest at applicable rates. Requires no repayment after 25 years in repayment status. Sets forth provisions for the determination of years in repayment status. Provides for discharge, by the Secretary, of the IDEA loan liability of any borrower who dies or becomes permanently and totally disabled. Provides for crediting of amounts paid on a joint return. Sets forth formulas for computation of an alternative annual payment for individuals who have attained age 55. Provides that, in general, an IDEA loan shall not be dischargeable in a case of bankruptcy, but authorizes the Secretary to postpone certain portions of the loan liability in such cases. Makes specified provisions relating to finality of assessment and collection applicable to such loans. Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to include the amount required to be repaid for IDEA loans under amounts listed under requirements relating to failure by an individual to pay estimated income tax. Requires individuals who are obligated to make IDEA loan repayments to file income tax returns for the applicable years. Adds provisions for the collection of IDEA loans under IRC. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Education to provide for collection of IDEA loan repayments due by using the income tax collection system. Title III: Early Intervention Program - Amends HEA to establish an Early Intervention Program (under provisions for grants to States for student incentives). Directs the Secretary to make incentive grants to States for early intervention programs that: (1) raise the awareness of eligible students about the advantages of obtaining a postsecondary education; (2) prepare students for postsecondary education; and (3) qualify students for Excellence Scholarships for Pell Grant recipients demonstrating academic achievement. Directs the Secretary to allocate such payments to States, on the basis of the number of eligible students, from a specified total amount. Entitles and grants a contractual right to each State to receive such payment, subject to continuing compliance with program requirements. Bases student eligibility for the early intervention program on their eligibility: (1) to be counted under the chapter 1 program for educationally disadvantaged students under title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; (2) for assistance under the National School Lunch Act; or (3) for assistance under the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act. Requires a State to use its allotment to conduct an early intervention program that: (1) provides eligible students in any of the grades pre-school through 12 with continuing systems of mentoring and advising that is coordinated with Federal and State community service initiatives, that may include specified support services, and that may be provided by specified types of service providers; (2) requires each student to agree to achieve certain academic milestones in exchange for an Excellence Scholarship; (3) creates new linkage structures and programs to encourage greater collaboration between elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education; and (4) provides for evaluation to allow service providers to track eligible student progress during program participation. Directs the Secretary to prescribe standards for the evaluation of the State programs. Requires submission of State plans. Requires annual State evaluations of such programs. Requires the Secretary to report annually to the Congress on assisted activities and program evaluations. Title IV: Guaranteed Student Loan Programs - Terminates all student loan programs under part B (Robert T. Stafford Student Loan Program) of title IV of HEA, except the parent loan (PLUS) program. Prohibits any new loan from being made, insured, or guaranteed under part B after June 30, 1994 (including Stafford loans and supplemental loans for students, but not parent PLUS loans). Provides that such prohibition shall not affect the administration of such loans made on or before June 30, 1994.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 1991
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit the use of claim sampling to deny claims or recover overpayments under Medicare except when fraud has been determined, in which case claim sampling may be used for the purpose of assessing civil monetary penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 1991
Medicare Physician Payment Reform Implementation Act of 1991 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to increase the conversion factor for physicians' services for each of the years after 1993 through 1996 by one-fourth of the percentage by which the conversion factor may have been decreased due to an adjustment for asymmetry in 1992; (2) prohibit the Secretary, in determining the conversion factor for 1992, from assuming that changes in the volume and intensity of physician services in response to the implementation of the new payment system for such services would increase the estimated aggregate physician expenditures by more than one percent; (3) make any reduction to the conversion factor due to assumed volume and intensity changes equally applicable to the adjusted historical payment base; (4) permit separate payment to physicians for interpretation of electrocardiograms (EKGs) provided during office vists; (5) direct the Secretary to: (a) establish separate fee schedule amounts for the interpretation of EKGs; (b) adjust the relative values in the fee schedule for physician visits to reflect separate payments for EKG interpretation; (c) establish EKG practice guidelines for dissemination to physicians along with other educational information relating to EKG use; (d) develop a profile for EKG use by physicians; and (e) study EKG utilization and costs for a report to the Congress; and (6) make the new payment system for physicians nonapplicable to services furnished on or after January 1, 1992, by a physician who was in his or her first, second, or third year of practice in 1991 and to whom the payment rules under the new system did not apply in that year. Prohibits the Secretary from issuing final regulations before July 1, 1993, which change the methodology for determining: (1) the amount of time that may be billed for anesthesia services; and (2) the amount paid for drugs and biologicals furnished incident to physicians' services. Requires the Director of the Office of Technology Assessment to conduct a study and report to the Congress on whether payments for anesthesia services should be based on a particular unit of time according to the medical procedure with respect to which the service is furnished. Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study and report to the Congress with respect to payment for drugs and biologicals furnished incident to physicians' services and payment for multiple surgical procedures; and (2) provide for pilot projects for developing Medicare volume performance standards other than at the national level. Authorizes appropriations to carry out the pilot projects.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress that it is inappropriate for the Federal Government to take actions that have the effect of preempting the tax decisions of State governments. Protects the decision of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to prohibit Federal payments under the Medicaid program (title XIX of the Social Security Act) relating to State Medicaid expenditures that are made from revenues derived from provider-specific taxes. Urges the Secretary to drop the proposed rule implementing his decision.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 1991
Breast Cancer Screening Safety Act of 1991 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require certification in order for a facility to perform or interpret mammograms, inspect equipment, perform needle localizations or other procedures using mammography equipment, or conduct quality assurance oversight related to mammography. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue and renew certificates for up to two years. Allows the Secretary to approve a private nonprofit organization to be an accreditation body which meets certain requirements, including inspecting facilities. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish standards for facilities to assure the safety and accuracy of mammography; (2) specify organizations eligible to certify individuals to perform radiological procedures; (3) specify boards eligible to certify individuals to interpret screening mammograms; (4) establish standards regarding the qualifications for individuals to interpret screening mammograms; and (5) specify boards eligible to certify individuals to inspect screening mammography equipment and oversee quality assurance practices. Directs the Secretary to conduct annual announced and unannounced inspections of certified facilities. Provides for: (1) intermediate sanctions for certain violations; (2) suspension, revocation, and limitation of certificates; and (3) injunctions. Requires fees for certificate issuance and renewal, and for inspections, sufficient to cover costs. Requires annual publication of a list of facilities convicted of fraud and abuse, false billings, or kickbacks, facilities that have had certificates revoked, suspended, or limited, and facilities that have been the subject of a sanction or other similar matters. Allows the Secretary to exempt facilities in a State or locality with more stringent requirements from compliance with this Act. Directs the Secretary to: (1) make grants for research on new methods of establishing a Mammography Registry; and (2) based on the research, establish the Registry. Authorizes grants to enhance the capacity of health personnel in the area of breast cancer mortality prevention. Allows grant funds to be used to establish a breast cancer mortality prevention regional training center and develop a training curriculum. Authorizes appropriations. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require that screening mammographies paid for under Medicare be performed by a facility: (1) certified under this Act; and (2) in compliance with specified provisions of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should: (1) recognize Ukraine's independence and take steps toward the establishment of full diplomatic relations with Ukraine should the December 1, 1991, referendum confirm the Ukrainian parliament's independence declaration; and (2) use U.S. assistance, trade, and other programs to support the Government of Ukraine and encourage the further development of democracy and a free-market.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 1991
Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to design and strike a silver commemorative medal for members of the U.S. armed forces who serve in a combat zone in connection with the Persian Gulf conflict.